


for reasons wretched and divine

by SmilingCheshire



Category: Naruto
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Codependency, F/M, Friends to Enemies to Lovers, I hope at least, M/M, Slow Burn, War, i guess
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-06-21
Updated: 2019-06-21
Packaged: 2020-05-15 19:45:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,282
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19302562
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SmilingCheshire/pseuds/SmilingCheshire
Summary: Two kings go to war. Friends reunite. Love ignites.





	for reasons wretched and divine

**Author's Note:**

  * For [SansThePacifist](https://archiveofourown.org/users/SansThePacifist/gifts).



> This is for the amazing Abbie!!! A gift fic in the ssssfiesta exchange. I hope you like it <3

The Forest Folk, as they have been come to be known, are tricky. Kakashi knows this because he is, of course, also one of the Forest Folk. He hates their nomadic lifestyle somewhat when he has to track them down after he completes his assigned month of watching after the King of the Forest’s brother, the Pirate King, and his wretched first mate, the Sea Witch.

Kakashi had hated spending so much time in Kiri, unused to the shifts of the teleporting port city. The Sea Witch had also sought him out before she departed with a message from her own king to his brother. The shiny black message stone feels like a thousand pounds in his pocket - the two brothers had a falling out years ago when the younger decided to leave the safety of their forests.

“Kakashi,” a soft voice says next to his ear - it’s Mikoto, their watcher. It’s Mikoto who guards their borders, a position that will one day be passed to her sons, she makes sure no enemies reach their camps and compounds. Her voice brings a sense of relief, as her message magic only works within certain distances. “Go South.”

He spends at least an hour heading south, debating whether or not he should give his king the messenger stone. As one of the king’s knights, he is duty-bound to give his king the stone but, news from his brother always has a negative effect on the king - especially with the queen visiting her homeland, the islands of Uzushio. He knows he will relent and give the stone to the king, but he likes to wonder what would happen if he didn’t. If he were more like Obito.

When he reaches the edges of the current Konoha compound, he is greeted by Mikoto. Her tall frame, upon returning, has always been a comfort. “Kakashi,” she says, “the king awaits you.”

Kakashi nods and follows as Mikoto leads him to where the king sits, his grandson sitting on his knee. Senju Hahirama is a tall man with long brown hair, tanned skin, and a boisterous personality, he had united their clans decades ago under the name Konoha, but the Nymph blood in him made him seem to hardly age.  His grandson, Tenzo, is a couple of years younger than Kakashi himself, an almost carbon copy of his grandfather (though his personality is rather reserved).

“My king,” Mikoto says, “our Silver Knight returns.” There’s a thin smile on her lips, complimenting the black scales under her almond her eyes.

Hashirama sets Tenzo on his feet and stands to his full height, towering over Kakashi. He smiles at him, stepping down from the platform. “So, the Silver Knight returns,” Hashirama says, “how was my brother?”

“Actually,” Kakashi says, hand tightening around the message stone in his pocket, “he sought me out-“ Hashirama frowns, eyes intense and Kakashi feels very small - “and gave me a message stone.”

Hashirama holds out his hand silently and Kakashi drops it in his hand carefully, making sure his hand doesn’t shake. Hashirama turns the stone in his hand, eyeing it critically. A spark of green magic ignites as Hashirama accepts his brother’s message.

Senju Tobirama was not as tall as his brother but he was still tall, with slightly curled white hair and piercing red eyes and three matching tattoos to compliment his face but here, in this magic, he’s all shades of blue. (The color of Tobirama’s own magic.)

Message stones aren’t practical by any means, they’re mostly used for unimportant news, but they’re the only kind of message magic safe from scrying so many people use them for espionage with runners, who get to their target by any means.

There’s a pained expression on Hashirama’s face as he looks at his brother’s neutral expression. “Hashirama,” the message says, mirroring Tobirama’s own mannerisms, “the Somber King remains and the Dark Prince approaches.”

The magic dissipates and Tobirama’s form fades away. For a moment, everyone is silent. The Somber King is a lifelong enemy of Hashirama, as the legends tell. Since their father’s forced them to go to war against each other. The Dark Prince, however, is an unfamiliar name.

“A son,” Hashirama mutters, entirely too loud in the silence of the moment, “he has a son.” He laughs suddenly, bitterly.

Kakashi notices Mikoto next, her fingernails digging into her wooden staff. The Somber King is related to her, though Kakashi isn’t sure how, and he shares her watching eye. “My king,” Mikoto says slowly, “we must prepare for war.”

Hashirama nods. “Summon the knights,” he says, carefully and quietly and Kakashi goes cold. (There are four knights - Silver, Gold, Obsidian, and Blood - but there used to be five, after Obito was killed no took his position out of some kind of respect.)

  


##  **━━**

 

Rin is the first of three knights to return, with Kakashi being the fourth. Rin’s hair has been cropped short since he had last seen her, but a black diadem was still gently placed on her forehead - a symbol of her status as the Obsidian Knight. They reunite with a tight hug, a sweet, simple thing.

“Kakashi,” she says, “how was Kiri?” She’s mocking him, he knows but it’s been months since he’s last seen her - Rin specializes in assassinations so she’s gone often, the potent poison the demon inside her creates is caustic and deadly, unsurvivable if accounts are to be believed.

“  _Wonderful ,_ ” Kakashi drawls, “the city teleporting didn’t make me nauseous at all and Tobirama? So easy to spy on.” The sarcasm slips off his tongue easily with Rin and sometimes, it’s easy to believe there isn’t a piece missing in their little group.

Rin smiles and wraps an arm around Kakashi. “Oh, I missed you,” she sighs heavily. Silence falls as they enter the compound and it’s almost comfortable. Kakashi glances at Rin, just taking her in - her hair may be different but so much is the same, the purple clan marks on her cheeks, the soft brown of her eyes, and the almost imperceptible freckles on her nose. Kakashi missed her so much while they were away, almost like a limb, Rin is his sister and he _hates_ to be away from her after what happened to Obito.

  


##  **━━**

 

The message the Dark Prince sends is simple and threatening. It comes in the form of a dagger, adorned with sapphires, with a message carved on it. The message simply reads as:

 

**I’M COMING.**

 

It would have hit Hashirama if his reflexes weren’t so fast. Still, as the dagger hits wood, blood begins to drip out of it. They don’t know if it’s the Dark Prince’s own blood or some poor soul that encountered him but they know it is a threat.

Hashirama glares in the direction the dagger came from. “A declaration of war then,” he says, sparks of green magic igniting off his hands. “Mikoto, how did you not sense him?” The words are accusatory, in a way Hashirama speaks in only when he’s at his angriest.

“I don’t know,” Mikoto says, “he must have some kind of magic that blocks my sight.”

Hashirama holds his hand out, surrounding the compound in a wall of wood. “Nobody comes in or out without my approval.”

Kakashi stands there, wanting to grab Rin’s hand as they watch. The second war in their lifetime, an inevitability they had both hoped to avoid.

Rin grabs his shoulder tightly and forces him to look at her, “We’ll be okay.” Even as she’s saying it, he knows she doesn’t believe herself - not after Obito. “We are going to win and everyone we care about will be _fine_.”

All Kakashi can do is nod.

**Author's Note:**

> I'm sorry I couldn't complete it all in the allotted time, Abbie, but I promise I'll finish this. It was surprisingly fun to write. Also! I'm sorry this chapter is so short, the others will be long!!!


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